Biking Across Lake Champlain Vermont – Four Years in the Making

Image on left:

The Colchester Causeway, which extends from the Burlington Bike Path, and crosses Lake Champlain Vermont.

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“a beginner’s view: the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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Biking Across Lake Champlain Vermont –

Four Years in the Making

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June 28, 2015
[ Updated Sept 09, 2019 ]

Related Categories : Fitness – Vermont

Note: Click images to enlarge

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First marker telling me I was really crossing the lake.

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Four Years? Really?

Well, sorta, mostly 🙂

Back in 2011, Sheila and I moved to Vermont for a year and a half to spend some time with her family. I chronicled much of our anticipation and move in a series of posts.

Besides a few short trips to NYC, a weekend in Chicago, and some week-long vacations to Vermont to see my wife’s parents, I had several never-spent-much- time north of Dallas expectations.

I wanted to ride a sleigh pulled by horses in the snow. I wanted to see tons of fall foliage. I wanted to see unending snow on the ground. I wanted to breathe less than 75 dew point air. I wanted to be able to walk out into the sun again in summer (vs 105 in Texas). And I wanted to ride a bicycle across Lake Champlain on the bike path.

Most of those things I got to do, even if in a reduced way. Our winter in Vermont was its second warmest on record, and there wasn’t enough snow on the ground to do a sleigh ride. 🙂

And I did get to see more fall foliage than my whole life previous combined.

I saw my first continuous snow fall since 1971 or ’73 in Houston.

Even posted a video of the Vermont snow fall.

And unexpectedly, attended and participated in the city’s largest art show, Art Hop.

But – no bicycle ride across the lake. Hurricane Irene followed us from Texas and blew out large chunks of the causeway. It wouldn’t get repaired til our return last year, and I wasn’t prepared or determined enough to make it happen that year.

This year, I did 😊

The Trip

Making it to the bike ferry itself, about 3 or 4/5 of the way across, was a major milestone 😊

Starting out from Leddy Park, vs near Battery Park last year, was a big help. As was a bicycle birthday gift from my son this past October. I was a bit more exercised and fit bike-wise. Sheila and I had even taken a near 9 mile senior group ride around Austin’s Lady Bird Lake on its famed Hike and Bike Trail.

And..I was very determined!

Suggestion: expand the map link above to Leddy Park. Battery Park is to the south, and the bike causeway is to the north.

Within minutes a large group seemed appear and we began loading our bikes for the short five-minute trip across the gap. There were folks from Canada, California, New York, and of course, counting me, Texas! 😊

This young man herded all the bikes with ease and is from California; says he’s worked the bike ferry for many years. The ease of which he handled us all convinced me. Plus he took a picture of me with my phone so I could prove I was there, lol! 😊

The ride from one side of the 200 foot gap in the bike causeway to the other is pleasant and scenic.

A nice view of the length of the ride over the water shows up as we pull away.

As we approached the dock on the north side of the trail, we saw several boats meander, or speed 🙂 , through the gap in the trail.

Once I was back on the trail, it was a relatively quick ride to island of South Hero.

I peddled back to the ferry, and was soon on the start of my way home.

The mileage sign was both comforting and challenging. 🙂

As the shore to Colchester and the mainland get closer, the vegetation increases, and more fishermen began to appear.

By this time I was quickly rediscovering some yoga poses I could partially use to help me sit straighter and ease my back and hands and neck. 🙂

My next post will go into a few of these with some links on more info.

Nearing Home

It was a beautiful day and a gorgeous ride across the water.

Peddling closer to our apartment on the Burlington Bike Path, I crossed the mouth of the Winooski River via the giant bike and pedestrian bridge.

The lone jogger ahead was the first of many more folk beginning to enjoy the day on the bike path. Soon after swarms of teens and younger would be jockeying for space to pass and rush by in giggles and shrieks of glee. Moms, dads, many pushing heavy carriages, would appear in clusters. Pets on long leashes would yank their owners arms trying to leap out and join the parade of people.

But of course, by that time, reaching my turn-off street to go home, I was far more interested in the lunch Sheila said she almost had ready.

Seventeen and a half miles after I’d left the house three hours earlier, Sheila opened the door with a smile and I was back.

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Special Thanks –

to Local Motion.

Local Motion is self-described as, “Local Motion is a member-supported non-profit organization promoting people-powered transportation and recreation for healthy and sustainable Vermont communities.”

They provided the online information I needed to make this ride happen. And actually, the rebuilding of the causeway itself after Hurricane Irene. And the operating of the bike ferry itself.

First Attempt Across

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Successful Attempt Across 😊

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

Adan

Twitter / Instagram / FB @FelipeAdanLerma
Amazon Author Page – https://amzn.to/2YpgyUf
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Related Articles

Related links posted in original article –

• My Blogging Priorities : Fitness, Family, and Fun
• Photo-Memoir of Fun Senior Bike Ride on Austin’s Hike & Bike Trail
• The Fitness Bank – Please Deposit Ten Minutes of Yoga – a Tidbit Post, # 7

Related links added in 2019 update –

• My 1st Zumba Gold Class Since, Well, 2011!
• Aging Gracefully – A Creative History : My Blog Feb 2011 – Jul 2019 😊
• Aging Gracefully – Walking’s Paying Off After Surgery, Step by Step 😊
• SilverSneakers Yoga – I’d Forgotten What I Was Missing 😊 🙏

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More Information & Links

Island Line Rail Trail

http://www.traillink.com/trail/island-line-rail-trail.aspx

Google Search : vermont island causeway damage

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My Related Amazon Search & Products

Bicycling Gifts

Images are Links –

My note – though I’m a recreational biker at most, with the occasional adventurous outing across a major lake, lol, I have bicycling since a very young child. As an adult, these six items above really appeal to me. The gloves, wheel lights, and maintenance book are similar to what I have and invaluable. The other 3 items are just plain fun!

The search link above the images, and the images themselves, also lead to much more tempting items. So click the images at your own risk! 😊

Biking in Vermont

Images are Links –

My note – though several of these titles are relatively old, I know that other than deeply in the few metro places in Vermont, much of the state is the same year after year – a wonderfully preserved heritage I love to visit as able. My wife’s home state is a true treasure! 💕 The socks of course are adorable + in the higher altitudes (here in Texas that means freeway overpass height 😊) quality socks are indispensable!

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